Related Tags:

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A new public opinion poll finds that a growing number of Philadelphians are pessimistic about the city’s prospects, and a growing number disapprove of Mayor Nutter’s job performance.

In the wake of this summer’s school funding crisis (related story) and the Market Street building collapse (related story), the survey by the research arm of the Pew Charitable Trusts finds that more and more city residents have a gloomy outlook on Philadelphia’s future.

Only 37 percent of respondents think the city is headed in the right direction, compared to 46 percent back in 2009, according to poll director Larry Eichel.

Meantime, 45 percent think Philadelphia is on the wrong track — an increase of 18 percent percent over 2009.

“So there’s this general trend of the outlook being a little more down than it’s been in the past,” Eichel tells KYW Newsradio.

He attributes the downturn in part to the historic deficits and resulting crisis facing the school district.

“I think it shows the impact the school crisis has had on the psyche of the city,” he said.

The poll also found growing disapproval of the work of Mayor Nutter.

“Thirty-nine percent of residents said they approved of his job performance, while 52 percent disapproved,” says Eichel. “And that’s quite a change from our last survey, which was conducted in January of 2012, when 60 percent approved of his work.”

The survey of 1,600 Philadelphians was conducted by telephone between July 23rd and August 13th.